Pictures: One killed, 60 injured in stampede at Samaram celebration in Andhra Pradesh

Kurnool (AP), Oct 5: In yet another horror incident within few hours after Patna stampede took place, a boy was killed and nearly 60 persons were injured in a stampede at the celebration of the annual ‘Banni Utsavam'.

The festival, is also called ‘Samaram', took place at Devaragattu hill on the outskirts of Neraniki village in Holagunda mandal of the district in Andhra Pradesh on Friday, Oct 3, midnight.

While the seriously injured were admitted in Adoni Government Hospital, the remaining injured were given primary treatment at Alur Hospital. The cause of the stampede at the event, which was attended by nearly three lakh people -- both from AP and Karnataka -- was not known.

Two groups of villagers fiercely clash with each other, using sticks. And though several people suffer bleeding injuries during the clash, there is no bad blood between the two groups. On Friday, 3000 people participated in the clash.

However, neither group files cases against the other, despite the serious injuries sustained by some of its members. In fact, the people consider it a good omen, if they suffer serious and bleeding injuries during the clash. They bear no personal grudge against each other.

However, SP A Ravikrishna and other district officials, who have been trying in vain to curb this bizarre fete, have decided to take suo moto action in the case of the stampede.

The SP, who had deployed nearly 400 police personnel at Devaragattu hill on Friday night to maintain the law and order during the event, told newsmen here on Saturday that they would book cases after studying the video and photo clippings.

According to folklore, Lord Shiva took the form of Bhairava to kill two ‘rakshasas' (demons), named Mani and Mallasura. He killed them both, after fighting them with sticks and thus provided relief to the human beings, who were being harassed by the demons.

In accordance with the belief, the villagers of Neradiki, Neranikitanda, and Kothapeta, representing the followers of the Lord, at midnight on Dussehra day, take the idols of Mala Malleswara Swami from Devaragattu to their respective villages, when the villagers of Ellarti, Arikera, Maddigeri, Nitranatta, Sulavai and Hebbetam, representing the followers of the two demons, obstruct them.

This leads to a ferocious clash between the two groups.

Stampede in ‘Banni Utsavam'

In yet another horror incident within few hours after Patna stampede took place, a boy was killed and nearly 60 persons were injured in a stampede at the celebration of the annual ‘Banni Utsavam'.

Two groups of villagers fiercely clash

Two groups of villagers fiercely clash with each other, using sticks. And though several people suffer bleeding injuries during the clash, there is no bad blood between the two groups.

Neither group files cases against the other

However, neither group files cases against the other, despite the serious injuries sustained by some of its members. In fact, the people consider it a good omen, if they suffer serious and bleeding injuries during the clash. They bear no personal grudge against each other.

Samaram took place at Devaragattu hill

The festival, is also called ‘Samaram', took place at Devaragattu hill on the outskirts of Neraniki village in Holagunda mandal of the district in Andhra Pradesh on Friday, Oct 3.

Nearly 400 police personnel were deployed

The SP, who had deployed nearly 400 police personnel at Devaragattu hill on Friday night to maintain the law and order during the event, told newsmen here on Saturday that they would book cases after studying the video and photo clippings.

With agency inputs,

OneIndia News